Controlling the multitude of systems on modern boats can be complex and many modern boaters expect the same level of automation and convenience they find in their cars. It’s clear the industry has realized this and is working hard to develop systems that make controlling your boat simpler and more intuitive. I had the opportunity to try out two such systems at the Miami International Boat Show…

On April 6th, 2019 older GPS units may experience a range of problems because of a limitation in how they handle dates. Thos problems could include not being able to receive location data. It turns out the way dates are stored in older GPS units has a rollover event every roughly 20 years and we are about to experience the second one since the GPS constellations came online. The rollover last happened in 1999 but in the last 20 years, the use and dependence on GPS has increased dramatically.

With more than 60,000 installations on vessels ranging from tugboats to aircraft carriers, Furuno’s FAR21X7 Series Radar has been one of the most popular commercial Radar models on the water since its release in 2004… This year, the venerable FAR21X7 series will be ceasing production, making room for a new generation of Furuno Radars to step into the role. To this end, Furuno is proud to introduce its next-generation series of IMO-compliant Radars, the all-new FAR22X8BB… available in 12kW or 25kW X-Band, 30kW S-Band, or 250W Solid State S-Band configurations…

What is arguably the most innovative electronics system in recent times debuted at the Miami boat show and very few people noticed! I’m talking specifically about the Navico Information Display that was purportedly integrated into the dashboards of some 14 new boats around the show, but…

For many of us docking maneuvers are the most stressful part of boating. So engine manufacturers, electronics companies and boat builders have introduced systems like integrated joystick control and dynamic positioning to make the task easier. Last Friday I got hand’s on with a new technology from Raymarine and Mercury Marine that takes docking assistance to a new level. They call it Virtual Bumper and I can attest that it lets you dock like a pro, even if you’re not.

Cochise is certainly eye-catching, and especially so when you realize that you’re looking at the personal cruising “dream machine” of the relentless innovator Steve Dashew. So even though the navigation setup inside that huge combination flying bridge and pilot house was brand new state-of-the-art in 2016, it’s been so radically modified since then that I burst into uncontrollable giggling on first sight…

One of my METS show highlights was the Starlight LED Helming Guide introduced by Autonnic Research. While the concept is somewhat hard to grasp from ashore — even with an animation — I think it’s a great example of how electronics can be fashioned into a unique and useful tool that connects intuitively with the natural world of boating. While “a star to steer by” sounds lovely, I’ve observed many a helmsman…

Yesterday Gizmo became the rare vessel equipped with four different solid-state Doppler radars. With the Simrad Halo24 announced in October, and the Raymarine Quantum 2 last February, all four major brands now offer this valuable technology. And while the timing isn’t ideal, I’m excited about adding the two new radomes to the Garmin Fantom 24 and Furuno DRS4D-NXT Doppler models already being tested…